Nahat also reaches back into long professional relationships to employ the talents of friends. For Swan Lake he turned to Cynthia Gregory, arguably one of the first American dancers to essay the dual role of Odette-Odile with stellar results. Gregory spent three weeks rehearsing the swans and coaching the three principals who appeared in Petipa’s white classic February 15-24. Gregory’s task was solidly supported with Roni Mahler as the Queen Mother and company regisseur Raymond Rodriguez as Wolfgang, Siegfried’s tutor, later doubling as Master of Ceremonies in Act III.

I saw the February 24 matinee where the white /black birds were danced by Maria Jacobs enhanced by Ramon Moreno as Prince Siegfried with Hao Bo as Baron von Rothbart with lecherous designs on Odette. The Baron’s character is revealed in the opening chords of the overture when four young maidens in front of a scrim feel the sinister atmosphere before the Baron confronts them, turning them into, naturally, four cygnets. The Baron possessed mammoth butterfly wings of scarlet, feathery tassel epaulets and trunks in similar hue, mounted on funny-toned deep pink. Bo's Baron, a man of negative energy, was danced with gusto.

Siegfried’s coming of age is celebrated in a garden near a medieval castle’s drawbridge which disgorged first the Jester, Maykel Solas, then Wolfgang, Raymond Rodriguez, before a string of courtiers arrive ahead of Siegfried. Waltz music from Act III allowed nine pairs of courtiers to parade with Siegfried before the Queen Mother walked down the drawbridge followed by four princesses in white bearing golden birthday gifts. The four princesses, Hungarian, Spanish, Italian and Russian, Akua Parker, Beth Ann Namey, Mirai Noda and Jing Zhang, danced with Siegfried, establishing preliminary acquaintance to the kingdom prior to the nuptial decision.

Mother contributed an elaborate cross bow Siegfried found more absorbing, examining, testing it, while perfectly amiable towards Mama about his betrothal; it was a stretch height-wise for Moreno to partner Parker, Namey and Zhang. Moreno consistently executed grand jetes of phenomenal height with an almost perfect record for his on the dime multiple pirouettes.

Roni Mahler’s Queen Mother, an enlightened autocrat, participated in dances partnered by tutor Wolfgang. Mahler’s QM was a genuine democratic monarch, a participant by gesture, attention unflagging. Rodriguez’ Wolfgang danced with aplomb with the QM, though flustered with Courtier Yue Yonezawa’s invitation to dance. Elliott surpassed himself with the women's pearl-encrusted earphone-type headdresses.

Act I ended with Siegfried’s catching sight of flying swans, the male courtiers gathering torches and bows, followed by an eager Siegfried.

Act II gave us a preliminary glimpse of well drilled swans, then von Rothbart made his sinister appearance, followed by the courtiers with torches and bows before Siegfried entered and requested to be alone. Moreno fiddled expertly with his cross bow, the only one I’ve seen outfitted with the necessary rawhide string to release an arrow. But, no, he sees THE special swan.

On came Odette; Jacobs, a slender brunette bird with the head and port de bras inflections proper to Odette. The Act II dancing proceeded without changes, swans a tribute to Gregory/s coaching. Jacobs substituted limpid hands to full, firm development of port de bras; in sissonne, developpe, passe into arabesque, like many Odettes, the movement via obvious passe was omitted in favor of a fluid development into that pose, emphasizing the fluttering aspects of the bird.

Act III still possessed the waltz competition by the brides, but here the princesses danced with their national ensembles, anomalous in their white and pointe shoes. Siegfried, now enthralled with Odette, danced his expected function; the QM came downstage center to inquire his reluctance to choose.

Jacobs’ Odile was a creature of glitter, brittle in demeanor, rushing the beat, missing an emphasis where it might be valid or effective; while dancing the variation adequately,the fouettes never went past fifteen, strength, placement absent. Moreno danced as if on a roll.

Act IV gave Hao Bo an excellent opportunity to demonstrate his remarkably high grande seconde and an intensity making his fight with Moreno able to arouse muscular empathy in the audience. Whipping the swans into order, Bo’s Rothbart tried again to possess Odette, persistently moving from his grasp. Jacobs’ death resolution was clear and strong as was Moreno's, each rushing onto the Baron’s ramparts to plunge into the lake, triggering his decided death struggle. The Baron staggered up the steps to his aerie now aflame, to perish in its blaze.

Quibbles aside, Ballet San Jose’s Swan Lake reflected the Russian classic with consistently motivated dancing of frequently dazzling caliber.

Bo, Jacobs, Moreno, Mahler, Rodriguez, Solas, Yonezawa, Parker, Namey, Noda, Zhang